While there’s still a way to go to come back from the challenges and job losses seen in 2020, there are encouraging changes emerging.
The table below shows the roles and industries that have seen the biggest bounce back in job ads on SEEK. The job ad increase percentage for each role compares job ad numbers listed September–November 2020 with June–August 2020.
| RANK | INDUSTRY | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal | Property Law | 130% |
| 2 | Human Resources & Recruitment | Recruitment - Internal | 116% |
| 3 | Hospitality & Tourism | Kitchen & Sandwich Hands | 114% |
| 4 | Advertising, Arts & Media | Programming & Production | 113% |
| 5 | Hospitality & Tourism | Front Office & Guest Services | 106% |
| 6 | Legal | Corporate & Commercial Law | 101% |
| 7 | Design & Architecture | Architectural Drafting | 97% |
| 8 | Information & Communication Technology | Networks & Systems Administration | 94% |
| 9 | Legal | Law Clerks & Paralegals | 94% |
| 10 | Hospitality & Tourism | Waiting Staff | 93% |
| 11 | Legal | Generalists - In-house | 88% |
| 12 | Hospitality & Tourism | Housekeeping | 88% |
| 13 | Trades & Services | Butchers | 85% |
| 14 | Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics | Import/Export & Customs | 83% |
| 15 | Design & Architecture | Urban Design & Planning | 81% |
| 16 | Design & Architecture | Interior Design | 80% |
| 17 | Farming, Animals & Conservation | Horticulture | 76% |
| 18 | Design & Architecture | Architecture | 76% |
| 19 | Sales | Sales Coordinators | 76% |
| 20 | Real Estate & Property | Administration | 74% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
Roles on the rebound
The scale of a bounce back from the lowest point of COVID-19 largely depends on an industry’s exposure to the crisis. Roman Rogers, Regional General Manager – New Zealand at Hudson, says the recovery is occurring at multiple speeds.
“The job market on the whole is growing steadily, but the more dramatic bounce back will be from the industries that were hit the hardest,” he says.
“While we are seeing the number of vacancies on the rise, much depends on how different industries are responding to the impact of COVID-19,” Rogers adds. “Hiring across industries that reflect increased customer demand or indicate longer-term planning will be a better indicator of improved confidence.”
Which roles are bouncing back the most in each industry?
Select an industry from the dropdown below and see the jobs that are bouncing back the fastest.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Audit - External | 64.9% |
| 2 | Management Accounting & Budgeting | 34.3% |
| 3 | Bookkeeping & Small Practice Accounting | 29.1% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Records Management & Document Control | 49.1% |
| 2 | Client & Sales Administration | 33.1% |
| 3 | Data Entry & Word Processing | 32.2% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Programming & Production | 112.9% |
| 2 | Agency Account Management | 10.9% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banking - Business | 66.7% |
| 2 | Account & Relationship Management | 55.7% |
| 3 | Management | 50.0% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer Service - Customer Facing | 70.7% |
| 2 | Customer Service - Call Centre | 23.0% |
| 3 | Management & Support | 14.6% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employment Services | 38.1% |
| 2 | Aged & Disability Support | 30.5% |
| 3 | Management | 27.4% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surveying | 50.6% |
| 2 | Project Management | 38.9% |
| 3 | Estimating | 26.7% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strategy & Planning | 28.2% |
| 2 | Management & Change Consulting | 21.7% |
| 3 | Analysts | 21.0% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architectural Drafting | 96.6% |
| 2 | Urban Design & Planning | 81.4% |
| 3 | Interior Design | 79.5% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tutoring | 73.6% |
| 2 | Library Services & Information Management | 66.0% |
| 3 | Research & Fellowships | 39.5% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water & Waste Engineering | 51.5% |
| 2 | Engineering Drafting | 42.9% |
| 3 | Electrical/Electronic Engineering | 34.4% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horticulture | 76.4% |
| 2 | Winery & Viticulture | 52.8% |
| 3 | Farm Labour | 28.6% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Local Government | 14.7% |
| 2 | Regional Council | 8.7% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing - Educators & Facilitators | 46.2% |
| 2 | Sales | 22.6% |
| 3 | Physiotherapy, OT & Rehabilitation | 20.3% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitchen & Sandwich Hands | 113.7% |
| 2 | Front Office & Guest Services | 105.5% |
| 3 | Waiting Staff | 93.3% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recruitment - Internal | 116.2% |
| 2 | Occupational Health & Safety | 28.5% |
| 3 | Organisational Development | 28.1% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Networks & Systems Administration | 94.4% |
| 2 | Consultants | 51.4% |
| 3 | Engineering - Network | 50.9% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claims | 21.4% |
| 2 | Brokerage | 11.2% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Property Law | 129.6% |
| 2 | Corporate & Commercial Law | 101.2% |
| 3 | Law Clerks & Paralegals | 94.1% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Import/Export & Customs | 82.5% |
| 2 | Public Transport & Taxi Services | 51.4% |
| 3 | Freight/Cargo Forwarding | 48.3% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internal Communications | 65.0% |
| 2 | Marketing Assistants/Coordinators | 39.2% |
| 3 | Market Research & Analysis | 27.7% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power Generation & Distribution | 8.2% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Administration | 74.4% |
| 2 | Residential Leasing & Property Management | 21.7% |
| 3 | Body Corporate & Facilities Management | 20.0% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buying | 50.0% |
| 2 | Retail Assistants | 45.2% |
| 3 | Merchandisers | 40.3% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sales Coordinators | 76.2% |
| 2 | Account & Relationship Management | 33.5% |
| 3 | Sales Representatives/Consultants | 25.1% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental, Earth & Geosciences | 27.4% |
| 2 | Food Technology & Safety | 27.3% |
| 3 | Laboratory & Technical Services | 20.8% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coaching & Instruction | 61.9% |
| 2 | Management | 10.8% |
| 3 | Fitness & Personal Training | 6.8% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
| RANK | ROLE TYPE | JOB AD INCREASE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Butchers | 85.0% |
| 2 | Printing & Publishing Services | 70.7% |
| 3 | Fitters, Turners & Machinists | 29.2% |
Source: Percentage change in job ads listed on SEEK Sep-Nov 2020 compared to Jun-Aug 2020, SEEK Employment Report.
Legal roles on the rise
A reduction in business activity during the lockdown had an impact on the legal industry, but now job ads are showing signs of a bounce back. Roles such as property law, corporate and commercial law and in-house generalists are among the top 20 showing signs of a comeback from the tough times last year.
Christina Kruger, Director at legal recruitment firm McLeod Duminy, says the rebound is coming from a low base at the height of the COVID-19 crisis.
“When the government announced the closure of the borders last year, we had close to a hundred roles open and we went down to about six overnight,” she says. “Although we are now seeing an increase in legal roles coming through, we are still far from where we were prior to the pandemic, but we are definitely seeing a growth in roles like property law, construction and resource management because there is more activity across these sectors in general.”
If you’re looking to attract the top legal talent, Kruger recommends highlighting your support for flexible working.
“Flexibility is definitely a major attraction for candidates when choosing their employer,” she says. “Before the pandemic, a lot of firms were not very open to the idea of candidates working remotely, but that has certainly changed. We know from candidates that most are looking for a mix between working remotely and working from the office.”
Doors opening for hospitality
The hospitality industry was hit hard by the pandemic restrictions, but roles like front office and guest services, waiting staff and housekeeping are on the rebound as the broader economy continues to recover.
Lutz Weissmann, Director/Owner of Bravo Group, says recruitment in much of the industry ground to a halt during last year’s lockdowns.
“When the first lockdown occurred, almost all the orders we had for candidates were cancelled,” he says. “That included anything from kitchen hands to senior chefs in cafes, restaurants, hotels and catering work – pretty much everything stopped,” he says.
“We have since seen some comeback, but it hasn’t returned to pre-COVID levels because there is still a degree of caution.”
With some hospitality roles bouncing back, Weissmann says employers should emphasise a positive, supportive work environment to attract the best talent.
“It’s a pretty small market here, so word gets around if you aren’t a good employer,” he says. “Hospitality workers want a respectful and supportive workplace, so this is something you should highlight.”
As we head further into 2021, job ad growth across industries hardest hit by COVID-19 is a positive sign of broader economic recovery. But candidate priorities may be changing, so it could be time to review your recruitment strategy in order to attract the best talent in this environment.
